A Hollywood actor has discovered he is related to the princess buried in Kent who inspired a Disney film.

Fight Club star Edward Norton had heard family rumours growing up that he was a direct descendent of Pocahontas, who died in Gravesend in 1617, but believed the story was just "family legend".

While featuring on the premiere episode of the ninth series of PBS show Finding Your Roots – the American equivalent to the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? – which explores the ancestral histories of famous faces, Norton discovered the Native American figure is his 12 times great-grandmother.

The show's host, historian Henry Louis Gates Jr, told Norton: "You have a direct paper trail, no doubt about it."

"It's as far back as you can go," he told the star.

Pocahontas, whose real name was Matoaka, was born in what is now Virginia, in around 1595 and was the daughter of the powerful chief Powhatan. He called her Pocahontas as a nickname which means "playful little girl".

Her father's rule was often threatened by European invasions and in 1612 she was captured as ransom by the English captain, Samuel Argall.

She married tobacco planter John Rolfe in Jamestown, Virginia in 1614 when she was around 18, and he was around 28.

In 1616 the couple had a son and moved to London. They set off to return to Virginia the following March, with a brief stop in Gravesend to pick up fresh food and water.

But Pocahontas, who was 20 or 21 at the time, was taken ill and was brought ashore, where she died of unknown causes.

She was buried in the nearby St George's Church in Gravesend town centre, where a statue now stands commemorating her life. The exact location of her burial, however, is unknown to this day.

Now, a paper trail leading back to the marriage certificate for Pocahontas and Rolfe confirms the pair are the Glass Onion actor's direct ancestors.

Norton said the news "makes you realise what a small piece of the whole human story you are".

The 53-year-old was also told by Mr Gates his ancestors owned slaves, adding that his third great grandfather held "seven human beings in bondage" including a man aged 55, a woman aged 37, and five girls aged 10, nine, eight, six and four.

Norton said of the revelation: "The short answer is these things are uncomfortable. Everybody should be uncomfortable with it.

"It's a judgement on the history of this country and it needs to be contended with. When you read 'Slave, age eight', you just want to die."